Guyana and Cuba signed several bilateral agreements in the areas of sport and public health, during President Donald Ramotar’s recent three-day visit to that country earlier in the month.
In a press statement the Office of the President said Ramotar also engaged in discussions with Cuban President Raul Castro which focused on the relations between the two countries and developments in the Latin American and Caribbean, during the October 17-20 official visit.
The visit also served to enhance the bilateral programme of cooperation with the signing of agreements on the reciprocal exemption of visa requirements for holders of Diplomatic, Official and Service passports and cooperation in the areas of sports and health. The agreements were signed by the foreign ministers of Guyana and Cuba, the President of the National Institute of Sport, Physical Education and Recreation and the Minister of Public Health of Cuba respectively.
Guyana also informed Cuba of its decision to exempt Cuban nationals from visa requirements to enter and remain in Guyana for periods not exceeding 90 days for the holders of all categories of passports.
The Office of the President also said that in addition to the many areas of study being undertaken by 723 Guyanese students in Cuba, that country has offered four specialist scholarships in the areas of pathology, psychiatry, gynaecology and dermatology. The president also had the opportunity to interact with the Guyanese student community there and visited the School of Panama, a school for children with special needs.
In referring to the trade and economic embargo the United States has imposed against Cuba, the president reiterated the position that Guyana has consistently adopted and called for an end to this policy. Ramotar said it was a product of the Cold War and should go now that that period in history has passed. He also met the relatives of the five Cubans who were held in the United States 14 years ago and charged with spying against that country. The group told Ramotar that the five were not spying on the United States but on anti-Cuban groups who were using US territory to plan terrorist activities against Cuba. The president reiterated Guyana’s opposition to all forms of terrorism as a means of political struggle and opined that the men should be released.
In addition, Ramotar viewed operations at the National Civil Defence Headquarters. He was high in praise of its systems and posited that Cuba was known for having one of the best civil defence systems in the world with immense organisational capacity.
At the close of his tour Ramotar laid a wreath at Revolution Square in honour of Jose Marti, National Hero of the Republic of Cuba. The release said the tour party also included First Lady Deolatchmee Ramotar, Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Director General in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Elisabeth Harper, Ambassador of Guyana to Cuba Mitra Devi Ali, First Secretary Vernon Robinson and Aide de Camp Lt Col Ronald Hercules.
